William h



I (No Model.)

W. 'H. BROWN 8: W. H. BELL.

DREDGING MACHINE.

No. 250,877. Patented De0.13,1881.

w lgs as IINE-NTEFIE' ATT IN Y- UNITED STATES PATENT "Erica.

WILLIAM H. BROlVN AND WILLIAM H. BELL, OF NEWV ORLEANS, LA.

DREDGlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,877, dated December 13, 1881.

Application filed October 20, 1881..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. BROWN and WILLIAM H. BELL, residents of the city of New Orleans, parish of Orleans, and State of Louisiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Dredging-Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and correct description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification.

This invention provides for the removal of sand-bars and other obstructions in rivers and streams; and it consists in a means for harrowing or loosening the surface of the obstruction, and in drivingtheloosened material to the sides of the channel.

The nature of our invention will be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, whereon Figure lrepresents aside view of a portion of a boat provided with our improved apparatus, and Fig. 2 a perspective view of our revolving harrow and interior blades or propellers.

Our harrow is composed of a number of wheels, A, to the peripheries of which are bolted or otherwise secured longitudinal strips I), having cutting-edges, as at c, and upon their outer surfaces points or cutters d. The wheels A are loosely fitted on a shaft, E, and the outer wheelshave hubsorsleevesextendingoutward, so as to have keyed or otherwise fitted thereupon driving-wheels, as at f, by which means the harrow can be revolved independent of the shaft upon which it is fitted and the propellerblades have a more rapid speed to stir, mingle, and discharge the material on opposite sides at right angles to the current.

The blades F, similar tothose of an ordinary propeller, are secured to the shaft E in such a manner as to permit of their being reversed, (should the nature of the work so require,) and thus drive the loosened material to either or both sides of the channel.

' The journals of the rotary harrow and inner shaft operate in Outriggers G, the opposite ends of which are fitted on a shaft, it, that is provided with cranks i, so that the same may be operated by a steam-engine or other motive power. Upon the outer ends of the aforesaid shaft are fitted sprocket -wheels 70, which,

(No model.)

through endless sprocket-chains l and sprocketwheels f, afford means for operating the harrow. A second set of wheels, n. are keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft h, for the purpose of transmitting motion to the shaft E and its propelling-blades.

On the deck of the boat is erected a frame or derrick, from the upper portion of which connection is made through block and tackle with the outer end of the outriggers, so as to pro vide for a proper adjustment of the operating mechanism, as well as for raising the same for repair, or during such time as the boatis changing location. 7

For operating in heavy clay it is deemed best to rigidly secure the harrow to the shaft, and to connect the outer extremities of the propeller-blades with the longitudinal bars of the harrow, so that the harrow and propellers will revolve together, inasmuch as this mode of construction will render the whole much stiffer, and consequently less liable to break.

Our improved mode of constructing the harrow with internal blades not only afi'ords protection to the said blades, but insures their driving the loosened material out through the ends of the harrow entirely clear of the channel, and thereby tending to build up embank ments on the sides of the same.

From the foregoing description and reference to the drawings it will be observed that the revolving harrow loosens the material forming the bar, and the propeller-blades in connection therewith cause the loosened material held in suspension to be driven sidewise by the artificial current produced by the revolving motion of the propellers, and carried off on each side of the machine, thereby removing the sand-bar from the channel without prolonging the bar.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a revolving harrow, of a series of propeller-blades arranged within the said revolviu g harrow, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a revolving han row, of a series of propeller-blades mounted on a shaft, and revolving concentrically with the harrow, and having a different velocity 4. In a revolving harrow, the longitudinal therefrom, substantially as and f or the purpose strips I), having the cutting-edges c and cutters set forth. d, substantially as described.

3. In a means for removing sand-bars and In testimony whereof we hereunto sign our 15 deepening channels, the combination, with the names. revolving harrow having the cutters and the series of propeller-blades arranged. within the harrow, of the sprocket wheels and chains for communicating motions of different speed to the revolvin g barrow and propeller-blades, substantially as set forth.

W. H. BROWN. W. H. BELL.

In presence of l J. FINNEY, J. G. HUBBELL. 

